The Charlotte Checkers fell 5-2 to the Springfield Thunderbirds on Friday, sending the series to a decisive Game 3 tonight at 7 p.m. at Bojangles Coliseum. Defensemen Trevor Carrick and Ludvig Jansson scored the goals for Charlotte and Gracyn Sawchyn, Wilmer Skoog, Jack Devine and Brian Pinho were credited with assists. Cooper Black finished with 18 saves on 22 shots faced and took the loss.
STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS (Friday)
Lane Hutson blew a glorious shot past Andrei Vasilevskiy at 2:09 of overtime, lifting the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bell Centre. Alexandre Texier, who set up the game-winner, and Kirby Dach each finished the tilt with a goal and an assist. Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel scored for the Lightning. Jakub Dobes stopped 15 shots for the Habs, who took a 2-1 lead in the series.
Florida Panthers ties loomed large in Salt Lake City. Lawson Crouse scored twice and Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots to the lead Utah Mammoth to a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in the first-ever postseason game at Delta Center. MacKenzie Weegar had a goal and an assist, Dylan Guenther lit the lamp, and Clayton Keller had a pair of helpers for the hungry Mammoth, who took a two to one series lead.
Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored 42 seconds apart to ignite the Anaheim Ducks to a four-goal third period and a 7-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center. Veteran Mikael Granlund finished the game with a goal and three assists as the Ducks opened up a 2-1 lead in the series. Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, his first points of the postseason.
CAROLINA HURRICANES at OTTAWA SENATORS
- WHEN: 3 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Canadian Tire Centre – Ottawa, ON
- SEASON SERIES: Carolina leads 3-0
- ON THE TUBE: TBS
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Hurricanes: Andersen (3-0 .964 / 0.84 1SO) Senators: Ullmark (0-3 .933 / 2.02 0SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Carolina / Ottawa
DALLAS STARS at MINNESOTA WILD
- WHEN: 5:30 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Grand Casino Arena – Saint Paul, MN
- SERIES: Dallas leads 2-1
- ON THE TUBE: TNT
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Stars: Oettinger (2-1 .889 / 2.85 0SO) Wild: Wallstadt (1-2 .916 / 2.27 0SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Dallas / Minnesota
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS at PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
- WHEN: 8 p.m. ET
- WHERE: Xfinity Mobile Arena – Philadelphia, PA
- SERIES: Philadelphia leads 3-0
- ON THE TUBE: TNT
- PROJECTED STARTERS: Penguins: Silovs Flyers: Vladar (3-0 .946 / 1.33 1SO)
- PLAYER STATS: Pittsburgh / Philadelphia